Apparatus and method for shaving the inside of barrels

ABSTRACT

An apparatus and method for shaving the inside of barrels. The invention relates to reconditioning used wine barrels by shaving the inside surface to a predetermined depth, ready for re-crozering, toasting, and re-use. Conventional shaving methods typically involve routing the internal surface by hand, but this technique is problematic in that it is a very slow process, the quality of the wood is often adversely affected, and there is no way of ensuring that the surface will be shaved to the same depth across the entire surface. The resultant internal dimensions of the barrel are not reflective, relatively, of the original barrel surface. The invention includes a scanning device to scan the internal dimensions of the barrel, and a cutting device to shave the internal surface to a predetermined depth relative to the scanned internal dimensions and where the scanning device and the cutting device may be supported by different robotic arms.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/271,367 filed Nov. 14, 2008, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,771,146.

The present invention relates to barrel reconditioning and, in particular, to an apparatus and method for controllably shaving the inside surface of barrels. The present invention is intended for particular use on wine barrels, however, is not intended to be limited to such use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The applicant is the owner of a co-pending Australian patent application 2006202071 relating to the production of barrel staves. The contents of this co-pending application are incorporated by reference herein.

Wine is traditionally aged in oak barrels. The oak is integral to aging and imparting certain flavours to the wines. Wine fermenting and aging in wood barrels extracts flavour components from the wood and leaves a residue of precipitated materials such as tartrates, fining agents or yeast. Wine processing often leaves undesirable bacterial infections in the barrels for which there is no current remedy.

Wine penetrates into a solid barrel stave approximately 0.5-0.8 centimeters. Over time (typically after two to three uses), all components which can be extracted from the oak will be, and the residue left in the wood can begin to sour or block the membrane exchangeability of the wood. The barrel is then considered exhausted and is viewed either as a liability because of contamination, or as neutral storage for additional vintages.

Currently, reconditioning involves transporting used barrels from vineyards to cooperage plants where the internal surfaces of the barrels are shaved and then toasted for reuse. Shaving methods vary from more simple techniques involving bottom cutting routers and rotating wire brushes, to more complex methods involving motorised cutting apparatus. Although inadequate, however, these services remain available because they are able to remove a small amount of the barrel's inner surface for a very modest fee. Conventional cutting devices suffer from some of the following drawbacks:

-   -   Current techniques, particularly manual shaving methods, often         result in uneven surfaces and do not provide a shaved surface         that is reflective of the pre-shaved surface.     -   Such techniques are also problematic because they do not ensure         that all areas of the barrel are shaved to a depth where the         exposed wood is uncontaminated from previous wine.     -   The quality of the surface is often compromised using         traditional shaving techniques. Sometimes, the shaved surface         requires sanding and this causes greater deterioration to the         barrel surface because it grinds the exhausted wood into the         pores of the newly exposed wood. When the barrel is re-toasted,         very undesirable “off” flavours are baked into the new surface.     -   The time taken to completely shave the inside of a barrel is         significant, given that this is often done manually. The skilled         addressee would realise the benefits in being able to quickly         and efficiently recondition a barrel back to a useful state         without the need for manual labor.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome this problem or to at least provide the public with a useful alternative.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore in one form of the invention there is proposed an apparatus for shaving the inside surface of barrels, said apparatus including:

-   a first robotic arm; -   a scanning means attached to a free end of the first robotic arm and     adapted to scan the internal dimensions of the barrel to thereby     provide mapped internal dimensions of the inside surface to a     controller for the robotic arm; -   a second robotic arm; -   a cutting means in the form of a router attached to the free end of     the second robotic arm and adapted to shave the inside surface of     the barrel to a predetermined depth relative to the scanned internal     dimensions, the cutting means and scanning means being rotatable     about the vertical axes of their respective robotic arms.

In preference the scanning means is adapted to vertically traverse the inside surface of the barrel to thereby scan a portion thereof with each pass.

In preference the cutting means is adapted to vertically traverse the inside surface of the barrel to thereby shave a portion thereof with each pass.

In preference movement of said scanning and cutting means relative to the inside surface of the barrel is controlled using the controller.

In preference said apparatus includes a computing device into which at least one movement parameter for the scanning means is input and subsequently processed to form a first set of movement data to be communicated to the control means.

In preference scanning said at least one movement parameter includes a start angle, a stop angle, and a pitch of said scanning means.

In preference at least one movement parameter for the cutting means can also be input into said computing device and subsequently processed, together with dimensional data from the scanning means, to form a second set of movement data to be communicated to the controller.

In preference at least one movement parameter for the cutting means includes a cut depth for each vertical pass of the cutting means.

In preference said at least one movement parameters for the cutting means include cut depth for a first pass of the cutting mans and a cut depth for a second pass of the cutting means.

In preference the router is electrically driven and the first robotic arm is capable of a range of controlled movements inside the barrel.

In preference the first and second robotic arms are hydraulically driven.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate several implementations of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the advantages and principles of the invention. In the drawings,

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an apparatus for shaving the inside of a barrel in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 wherein the barrel is in a raised position;

FIG. 3 a illustrates an enlarged perspective view of a router assembly forming part of the apparatus of FIG. 1 whereby the laser cover is open;

FIG. 3 b illustrates an enlarged perspective view of a router assembly forming part of the apparatus of FIG. 1 whereby the laser cover is closed;

FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 performing a scan of the inside surface of the barrel;

FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 shaving the inside surface of the barrel;

FIG. 6 illustrates a second embodiment of the present invention when the scanner and router are each supported by a separate robotic arm mounted on a single platform; and

FIG. 7 illustrates a third embodiment of the present invention when the scanner and router are each supported by a separate robotic arm mounted on separate platforms.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings. Although the description includes exemplary embodiments, other embodiments are possible, and changes may be made to the embodiments described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings and the following description to refer to the same and like parts.

The present invention relates to an apparatus 10 and method for shaving the inside surface 11 of barrels, in particular, used wine barrels 12 which require reconditioning for re-use. Referring firstly to FIGS. 1 and 2, the apparatus 10 comprises a base frame 14 having a height adjustable barrel mounting means 16 associated therewith, a robotic arm 18 mounted above the base frame 14, and a router assembly 20 positioned at the free end of the robotic arm 18, the router assembly 20 including a laser 22 suspended therefrom. The robotic arm 18 is capable of a range of controlled movements. In brief, the router assembly 20 and laser 22 are controllably moved along the inside surface 11 of the barrel 12 to:

1) scan the internal dimensions of the barrel using the laser 22; and

2) shave the inside surface to a predetermined depth using the router assembly 20.

The base frame 14 is in the form of a substantially rectangular table having a top surface 24 supported above four vertical legs 26 having horizontal reinforcing beams 28 extending therebetween, including at the base of the frame 14. The configuration of the base frame 14 is not critical, provided it is robust enough to support the weight of the robotic arm even when the arm is at full extension away from the frame 14. The top surface 24, as well as the lowermost reinforcing beams 28 on the left and right hand sides of the robotic arm 18, extend forwardly from the frame 14 in the same direction as that of the robotic arm 18 to facilitate its support.

The height adjustable barrel mounting means 16 is in the form of a sub-frame 30 housed inside the base frame 14, the sub-frame 30 being capable of vertical movement relative to the base frame 14 through actuation of a pneumatic cylinder 32. Upward and downward movement is aided through the use of guide rollers 34 which slideably engage the inside surfaces of the legs 26 as shown in the drawings. A portion of the sub-frame 30 also extends forwardly from the base frame 14 in the direction as the robotic arm 18, to which a pair of spaced apart straps 36 for wrapping around and engaging the barrel 12 are attached. The straps 36 may be attached to the sub-frame 30 by any suitable means and may include a tensioning means 38 for tightening the straps 36.

It is to be understood that there may well be a plurality of straps used, or other alternate means of supporting the barrel 12. For example, a barrel floor support (not shown) extending out from the sub-frame 30 could be used. The benefit of the embodied configuration though is that the router assembly 20 can be moved vertically past the bottom end of the barrel 12 if need be, as there is no base structure below to prevent such movement. Furthermore, a floor structure would require further material, would increase the weight of the apparatus, and would possibly require a stronger pneumatic cylinder.

As mentioned, the sub-frame 30 is capable of vertical movement through actuation of a pneumatic cylinder 32. The pneumatic cylinder 32 is positioned centrally inside the base frame 14, and includes a ram 40 adapted to engage a portion of the sub-frame 30 such that when the ram 40 is in a retracted position inside the cylinder 42, the attached barrel 12 is grounded in the position shown in FIG. 2 in hidden lines, and when the ram 40 is extended upwardly, the barrel 12 is at a height suitable for it to undergo scanning and cutting in accordance with the present invention.

The robotic arm 18 comprises a base 44, an attached shoulder 46, a first arm member 48 pivotably linked to the shoulder 46, an elbow 50 pivotably linked to the opposed end of the first member 48, and a second arm member 52 rotatably linked to the elbow 50. The router assembly 20 is pivotably linked to the free end of the second arm member 52. Therefore, the robotic arm 18 is capable of pivoting in three ways, whereby each pivot axes extends transversely to the forward direction of the arm 18. The present invention is not intended to be limited to this particular robotic arm configuration, for example, the arm may be made to pivot in four or five ways, or along different axes, if desired.

The router assembly 20 is shown most clearly in FIGS. 3 a and 3 b. The assembly 20 includes an electric motor 54, a drive shaft 56 driven by the motor 54, and twin router blades 58 removably attached to the end of the drive shaft 56. As mentioned, a laser 22 is mounted beneath the motor housing 60 and points in the same direction as the twin blades 58. The laser 22 includes a shutter 62 that is pivotable from the open position shown in FIG. 3 a, to the closed position shown in FIG. 3 b. Movement of the shutter 62 is controlled so that it opens during scanning of the internal surface 11 of the barrel 12, and closed at all other times. The motor housing 54 is suspended from a bracket 64 pivotably linked to the second arm member 52 as described above.

The robotic arm 18 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 in a rest position when not in use, that is, when the first member 48 extends substantially upwardly and outwardly with respect to the base frame 14, and the second member 18 extends downwardly and outwardly. FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate the robotic arm 18 when in use. It can be seen that in the in-use position, the first arm member 48 is more extended because it has been pivoted downwardly, as has the second member 52 which now extends inwardly slightly to ensure the router assembly 20 is positioned centrally inside the barrel, and the router blades 58 and laser 22 are aligned substantially horizontally. As will become apparent though, the router assembly 20 and laser 22 are pivoted to account for the barrel pitch and are aligned horizontally only when moving past the mid-section of the barrel 12.

The way in which the robotic arm 18 operates will not be described in great detail as this should be known to those skilled in the art. In a preferred embodiment, the joints are controlled pneumatically. At the base 44 of the arm 18 is a control box 23 which is connected to an external computing device 25. The computing device includes software into which different scanning and cutting parameters may be input by an operator, such data being transmitted to the control box 23 to operate the pneumatic joints accordingly. The control box 23, computing device 25 and associated software is also used to control movement of the pneumatic cylinder 32, and the shutter 62.

According to the present invention, the internal surface of the barrel is to be scanned so that the internal dimensions are recorded, and then material removed to a depth relative to the scanned dimensions. Those skilled in the art would realise that if a pre-scan of the surface did not take place, movement of the router would be based on a prediction of the internal dimensions and an inaccurate cut would result. By firstly scanning the surface, it can be shaved to a uniform depth all the way around the barrel. The process ensures that the same amount of wood is removed at every point along the barrel surface, resulting in a barrel which has substantially the same internal relative dimensions to that of the original barrel, ready for re-crozering, re-toasting and re-use.

As shown in FIG. 4, the router assembly 20 is moved into the centre of the barrel. Then, using upward and downward strokes, the laser 22 is able to map the dimensions of the internal surface 11. Once the router assembly 20 has completed one downward stroke, it is rotated a predetermined distance corresponding approximately with the width of the laser beam on the internal surface, and then an upward stroke is commenced. This is continued until the router assembly has rotated 360 degrees and the entire internal surface 11 scanned. This data is recorded and transmitted to the computing device, and is processed together with data which is input by the operator, to produce cutting data which is subsequently transmitted to the control box 23. The cutting data defines the required movements of the robotic arm to shave the inside surface 11 of the barrel 12.

FIG. 5 illustrates the router assembly in use. As with the scanning process, the shaving process involves vertical strokes along the internal surface 11, until the router assembly has rotated 360 degrees to complete the cut. It is to be understood that any appropriate sequence can be set up by an operator. For example, the scan and cut may be achieved using any number of vertical passes rather than just one. In fact, as will become apparent, it is preferred that the shave take place in two passes whereby half the material is moved in a downward stroke, for example, and the remaining depth of material is removed in an upward stroke. The present invention is not intended to be limited to any particular start angle, stop angle, pitch, or cut depth as these parameters are all variable and may be adjusted to suit different barrels.

The scan parameters which may be input by an operator are as follows:

-   -   Start Angle (0-359 degrees)—this is the initial angle which is         typically first set to zero, but may be set at any required         angle. For example if a barrel shaving process is started and         stopped at a specific angle, then it can be recommenced at that         start angle at a later time.     -   Stop Angle (0-359 degrees)—this is the angle by which the second         arm member 52 and hence the router assembly 20 and laser 22 are         rotated, following each vertical scan. For example, if the start         angle is set to 0 degrees and the stop angle is set to 12         degrees, the laser 20 will perform a first vertical scan and         then rotate about its axis by 12 degrees before commencing a         second vertical scan, and so on. At this setting, the router         assembly will perform thirty vertical scans per barrel.     -   Pitch (1-36 degrees)—this parameter accounts for the curve of         the internal surface, and for a standard wine barrel is         typically set to 10 degrees whereby when the router assembly is         at the top of the barrel it is angled upwardly by 10 degrees,         when lowered to the middle of the barrel is aligned horizontally         at 0 degrees, and when lowered to the bottom of the barrel is         angled 10 degrees downwardly. Alteration of this angle is         achieved by way of controlled pivot of the bracket 64 relative         to the second arm member 52.

Similarly, the variable cutting parameters are as follows:

-   -   Start Angle (0-359 degrees)—This is as per the scan start angle         and is typically first set to 0 degrees.     -   Stop Angle (0-359 degrees)—This angle is determined by the width         of the shave resulting from contact between the router blades         and the surface. In the embodiment shown, an angle of 10 degrees         is input into the software.     -   Pitch (1-36 degrees)—A pitch angle of approximately 5 degrees is         typically used here for a standard wine barrel.     -   Cut depth pass 1 (mm)—As mentioned the router assembly can         perform one or more passes on the internal surface during the         cutting process. Therefore in order to shave 8 mm off the         surface, the pass 1 cut depth will be set to −4 mm.     -   Cut depth pass 2 (mm)—If 8 mm is to be shaved off and 4 mm has         already been shaved in the first pass, then −8 mm should be         input here.

Those skilled in the art should now realise the benefits of the present invention.

The apparatus 10 provides a means of partially reconditioning a used wine barrel by shaving the inside surface to a predetermined depth, ready for re-crozering, toasting, and re-use. Conventional shaving methods typically involve routing the internal surface by hand, but this technique is problematic in that it is a very slow process, the quality of the wood is often adversely affected, and there is no way of ensuring that the surface will be shaved to the same depth across the entire surface. Therefore, the resultant internal dimensions of the barrel are not reflective, relatively, of the original barrel surface.

In first scanning the internal dimensions, and then applying a controlled shave across the internal surface as a function of the scanned dimensions, an extremely accurate cut can be performed. The robotic arm of the present invention can move at approximately 1 meter/second, which means the internal surface of one barrel can be shaved within a time frame of 15-30 minutes. Operation of the apparatus can be modified to suit particular barrels in that parameters such as the scan/cut start and stop angles, the pitch, and the cut depth are variable, and can be input into the system.

It is to be understood that the apparatus used to shave the barrel need not be limited to a twin blade router assembly 20 as embodied herein. Any suitable shaving device can be used.

It is to be further understood that the shaving and scanning apparatus could remain stationary and the barrel itself could be moved relative thereto, thereby scanning and shaving the internal surface. For example, a platform upon which the barrel rests may be rotatable and vertically moveable with respect to the scanner and router.

A more sophisticated laser sensor could also be used, in particular, one which is capable of scanning around 360 degrees of the barrel surface instead of only a radial portion. In using such a laser, only one vertical movement of the laser would be required to scan the entire cross-sectional internal dimension.

The computing device 25 could also be used to save data relating to such things as the amount of material removed from the barrel, the date and time a particular barrel was shaved, and the physical state of the barrel including how many more times the barrel may be reconditioned, if any. All of this data could be stored and potentially used for future reference.

The present applicant currently manufactures barrels using an improved barrel stave jointing apparatus, including hardware and software capable of capturing and storing a number of different stave and barrel properties. It is envisaged that data relevant to a particular manufactured barrel is stored, so that when that barrel is used and returned to the cooperage for reconditioning, it can be accessed again. In such circumstances, a pre-scan of the internal dimensions may not even be necessary.

In a further embodiment of the invention and as illustrated in FIG. 6, the laser 22 may be mounted on a separate robotic arm 68 supported by platform 14. The particulars of the robotic arm 68 are the same as those described earlier for robotic arm 18 and it is not the intention to herein describe the arm in more detail. The advantage of a robotic arm having a separate laser is in that during the operation of routing there may be a lot of debris flying about and having the laser to scan the internal dimensions of the barrel on a separate robotic arm may assist in keeping it free of debris.

In a further embodiment and as shown in FIG. 7 the robotic arm 68 may be mounted on a separate platform 76. Of course such an arrangement needs to ensure that the robotic arm holding the router and the robotic arm supporting the scanning laser share a common point of origin to ensure that the routing follows the scanning

Housing the scanning assembly and the cutting assembly may also be advantageous in that the scanning may occur just before the routing thus saving on time in shaving the inside surface of the barrel. Of course one would need to ensure that the scanning occurs on a section of the inside surface before any routing to avoid the situation where the scan may “look” at an inside area that has already been routed.

Further advantages and improvements may very well be made to the present invention without deviating from its scope.

Although the invention has been shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope and spirit of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and apparatus.

In any claims that follow and in the summary of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word “comprising” is used in the sense of “including”, i.e. the features specified may be associated with further features in various embodiments of the invention. 

1. An apparatus for shaving the inside surface of barrels, said apparatus including: a first robotic arm; a scanning means attached to a free end of the first robotic arm and adapted to scan the internal dimensions of the barrel to thereby provide mapped internal dimensions of the inside surface to a controller for the robotic arm; a second robotic arm; a cutting means in the form of a router attached to a free end of the second robotic arm and adapted to shave the inside surface of the barrel to a predetermined depth relative to the scanned internal dimensions, the cutting means and scanning means being rotatable about vertical axes by their respective robotic arms.
 2. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the scanning means is adapted to vertically traverse the inside surface of the barrel to thereby scan a portion thereof with each pass.
 3. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said cutting means is adapted to vertically traverse the inside surface of the barrel to thereby shave a portion thereof with each pass.
 4. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein movement of said scanning and cutting means relative to the inside surface of the barrel is controlled using the controller.
 5. An apparatus as in claim 4 wherein said apparatus includes a computing device into which at least one movement parameter for the scanning means is input and subsequently processed to form a first set of movement data to be communicated to the controller.
 6. An apparatus as in claim 5 wherein said at least one movement parameter for the scanning means includes a start angle, a stop angle, and a pitch of said scanning means.
 7. An apparatus as in claim 5 wherein at least one movement parameter for the cutting means can also be input into said computing device and subsequently processed, together with dimensional data from the scanning means, to form a second set of movement data to be communicated to the controller.
 8. An apparatus as in claim 7 wherein said at least one movement parameter for the cutting means includes a cut depth for each vertical pass of the cutting means.
 9. An apparatus as in claim 8 wherein said at least one movement parameters for the cutting means include cut depth for a first pass of the cutting means and a cut depth for a second pass of the cutting means.
 10. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the router is electrically driven and the first robotic arm is capable of a range of controlled movements inside the barrel.
 11. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the first and second robotic arms are hydraulically driven. 